Gisborne’s footy future in the hands of Ballarat vote

In a meeting lasting less than half an hour, Gisborne has reinforced its desire to leave the Bendigo footy league. See why and what happens next.

Gisborne has repeated its determination to leave the Bendigo league in an online meeting lasting less than 30 minutes with the embattled competition’s board on Wednesday night.

The preference to play in a better competition and secure its financial future due to the creation of instant rivalries with nearby Sunbury, Melton, Darley and Bacchus Marsh were spelt out again to Bendigo chairwoman Carol McKinstry and other board members.

Gisborne president Tony Brancatisano said the club’s desire to leave Bendigo had grown since the recent departures of two of its closest rivals, Kyneton and Maryborough.

“We just think financially we will be better off in Ballarat with those four clubs around us,” he said.

“It’s also about player retention and also recruitment.

“But it’s more about where the (Bendigo) competition is at presently.

“They’ve only got eight clubs so it’s the right time to move.

“We told them they need to concentrate on what is around them and also look north.

“We’re getting further away from where they’re heading.

“Kyneton is gone, Maryborough is gone and who knows how long Castlemaine is going to last.

“We told them again that ‘we’re not going to Moama’.”

Gisborne coach Robert Waters has previously coached in Ballarat league. Picture: Yuri Kouzmin

Professor McKinstry was contacted for comment.

Loddon Valley club Maiden Gully-YCW has applied to join the Bendigo league in 2027 and doubts still exist on whether Broadford can come out of recess and be part of the competition next year.

Gisborne is more than an hour from the Bendigo league headquarters of the Queen Elizabeth Oval compared to Sunbury, Melton, Bacchus Marsh and Darley being within 30 minutes.

The meeting between Gisborne and Bendigo league hierarchy was required under changes made this year to rules around clubs wanting to transfer leagues as was a presentation to Ballarat league clubs by Gisborne on Monday night and a meeting between the two leagues on Tuesday.

Sandhurst and Gisborne are on track to meet in another Bendigo grand final. Picture: Yuri Kouzmin

Ballarat league president Rob Simmonds said a special general meeting would be called for mid-August when clubs and the board will vote to accept Gisborne.

Gisborne needs a two-thirds majority to be accepted.

But under Ballarat’s constitution the amount of votes an individual club has is determined by how many teams they have.

“Not every club has the same number of votes,” he said.

“Sunbury and Melton have less votes because they don’t have some junior teams presently, but Darley and Bacchus Marsh do and have the full number of votes.

“The board wants Gisborne in because we see it as a real positive and several teams are in the same position, but there are some clubs still with questions.”

Originally published as Gisborne’s footy future in the hands of Ballarat vote